Current Projects

Researcher Paul Goodfellow, PhD, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, and Jennifer Ivanovich, MS, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO

Study Summary The purpose of the study is to learn what genetic factors may play a role in the development of breast cancer in young women.
The researchers need to recruit 5,000 women who were diagnosed with invasive breast cancer when they were 40 years old or younger for this study.

Study Summary The purpose of this study is to find out what types of bacteria are found in the intestines and how these bacteria metabolize estrogen and other female hormones. The researchers are comparing the bacteria found in women who have never had breast cancer, women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer within the last 5 years, and women who have never had breast cancer but who have a first-degree relative WITH breast cancer.

Study Summary The purpose of this study is to see which type of talk therapy is the most effective treatment for depression in women and men who have had a breast cancer diagnosis. It is open to women and men who were diagnosed with stage I-IV breast cancer more than six months ago.

Researcher Harry Ostrer, MD, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York

Study Summary The purpose of this study is to identify new genetic mutations for breast cancer. The research team will analyze blood samples from two groups of survivors: women with a strong family history of breast and/or ovarian cancer and women who had early onset breast cancer but no family history. All study participants must have been tested for— and found not to have—the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genetic mutations.

Study Summary The goal of this study is to learn more about breast cancer in Hispanic women by studying Hispanic women with breast cancer and Hispanic women who have never had breast cancer. The research team has enrolled Hispanic women with breast cancer for the study. Now, they need Hispanic women who have never had any type of cancer (skin cancers are okay).
If you enroll in this study, you will NOT receive any individual genetic test results. Every participant is assigned a coded study number, and no genetic information is connected to her name. There is no way for the researchers to ever tell you anything about your test results. By taking part in this study, you will help researchers help future generations of Hispanic Women.

Project Title A Pilot Study of the Flaxseed Effects on Hormones and Lignans: Role of Race, Genes, and Gut Microbiome

Researcher Susan McCann, PhD, Roswell Park Cancer Institute

Study Summary The purpose of this study is to determine whether adding flaxseed (a food high in compounds that can change hormones) to a regular diet changes hormones that are related to breast cancer risk and if the effect of flaxseed differs between African- American and Caucasian women.

Project Title Acupuncture for Joint Symptoms in Women with Early Stage Breast Cancer

Researcher Southwest Oncology Group, (SWOG)

Study Summary The purpose of this study is to test whether 12-weeks of acupuncture can help reduce joint pain or stiffness caused by hormonal therapy for breast cancer.
The researchers need to enroll 228 women in this study.

Project Title A Study to Identify Predictors of Response to Duloxetine in Breast Cancer Patients with Chronic Pain (HUM00075181)

Researcher Norah Henry, University of Michigan, MD, PhD

Study Summary The purpose of this study is to better understand why some breast cancer survivors who have chronic pain and are treated with duloxetine will have their level of pain improve, while others will not. Women with breast cancer who have chronic pain will be asked to enroll. Participants will be treated with duloxetine for 7 weeks in order to determine how the medication affects both their level of pain and their sensitivity to pain. The research team hopes to understand more about why breast cancer survivors develop pain after their diagnosis and treatment, and why some people respond better to this type of treatment. The research team needs 84 women to participate in this study.

Study Summary The purpose of this study is to see whether neratinib is effective in treating HER2-negative metastatic tumors that have this specific HER2 mutation. The first part of the study is a preliminary screening. During this part of the study, your tumor tissue will be tested to see if it has the HER2 mutation the researchers are looking for. If your tumor has the mutation, you will be given more information about the main research study, which is investigating the effectiveness of neratinib.

Researcher Edward McAuley, PhD, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign and Laura Rogers, MD, MPH, at the University of Alabama at Birmingham

Study Summary This study is evaluating the effectiveness of the BEAT Cancer program and comparing unique metabolism measurement tools not previously available for this type of physical activity study in cancer survivors. The research team will compare the effects of the intervention to usual care (written materials about exercise for cancer survivors) on short- and longer-term physical activity adherence among breast cancer survivors.

Researcher Christine Miaskowski, PhD, University of California, San Francisco

Study Summary The purposes of this study are to better understand the signs and symptoms of chemotherapy neuropathy (CN) and the genetic (that is, inherited) factors that predict whether patients develop CN or not. The research team needs 600 people to participate in this study.

Study Summary The goal of the ALIVE Lifestyle Intervention Study is to gather more information about the health behaviors of cancer survivors. The research team wants to understand the cultural, social, and environmental factors related to dietary intake, prolonged sitting, and physical activity. They also seek to learn if cancer survivors who take part in lifestyle interventions have better overall health and quality of life than those who do not take part in these interventions. The research team needs 390 men and women to participate in this study.

Study Summary The purpose of this research study is to create a functional map of the breast ducts so that doctors can better diagnose, treat, and – eventually – learn how to prevent breast cancer. The research team will first determine the ideal state of the lactating breast for imaging, i.e. full, empty, or in between, as well as the best procedure for capturing the data. The second step will involve recruiting 250 women who are breast feeding to take part in this low risk investigation and undergo whole breast Automated Whole Breast Ultrasound. The research team is currently recruiting 50 women to participate in the first step of this study.